I term Christianity as the life of Christ revealed in you. The Bible is full of paradoxes and a most of what we read from the Torah are for our personal consumptions and cannot be used as a doctrine in building a congregation. There are other books some denominations make references to in their teachings and examples of them are the books of the apocryphal, the torbit, the book of Enoch and the rest. There are doctrines that contradict themselves.

In the past, doctrinal differences led to the break-ups of congregations which gave birth to so many denominations. And in modern day Christianity, many preachers are constructing statements they call revelations out of the scripture. But what actually is a revelation? We need some basic understanding to avoid the numerous theories formulated by some preachers.

A revelation according to the dictionary is the divine or supernatural disclosure to humans of something relating to human existence or the world. Anything that is not previously known is a revealed fact.

The Bible in Colossians 1:26-27, says: “the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

The mystery revealed is simply Christ in you. There is nothing else to crave for apart from the revelation of Christ in your spirit. The greatest revelation is your personal encounter with Christ Jesus. The greatest mystery is your salvation through Christ. But there are some people who delight in controversies and arguments about scriptures and things they don’t understand.

So Apostle Paul said to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:20-21:

“O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you.”

The Apostle Paul forewarned minister Timothy of contradictions that some people call knowledge. He called it “irreverent babbles.” The word irreverent means lack of respect or reverence for people. And in this case, it’s lack of reverence for God. They are false knowledge; they seem sensible in the ears but lack substance to even be considered as half truths. There are too many constructions we term revelations, which are rather not helping the unity of the church. Christianity must be separated from Gnosticism and Qabalah which see the Torah as coded with mysteries. This was the birth of mysticism.

The greatest revelation is Christ Jesus. The mystery of the gospel is Christ in you. The engine of this mystery is the Holy Ghost. If I understand that Christ was born, he died and resurrected to take away my sins, and he has sent his promised Holy Spirit to enable me live a godly life, there is nothing else to understand in scripture. What Christ thought is what you must meditate on everyday and live with and by. We pray in the name of Christ Jesus and receive all that we need from our father in this life. Continuous revelations and deeper understanding is still about Christ Jesus.

In 1 Timothy 6:3-4 the Bible says: “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions.”

All we need is the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ. No preacher can say anything to make much sense than what Christ has already said. There is the teaching that leads to godliness and that is what we need when we come into Christ. It’s about how to maintain our righteousness in Christ.  We need to know the hope of our calling, our inheritance in the saints and the power of God available to us. Arguments about semantics are an unhealthy cravings for controversy.

This is a sincere prayer of the Apostle for the church of Ephesus captured in Ephesians 1:17-19 which says:

“…that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might.”

UNNECESSARY BABBLING CREATES DIVISIONS IN THE CHURCH

The scripture in 1 Corinthians 3:4-6 says: “For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human? What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”

When there are arguments about scripture and doctrine, it will lead to cracks and divisions in the church. Christianity has become many things to many people. Someone will say he doesn’t like drums and instruments in the church and another will say he does. Some are saying we should cover our head in worship and others say otherwise. There are hundreds of differences in our worship as Christians and because of this, we have the orthodox, the Pentecostals, Charismatics and spiritualists and among others having sub divisions with differences.

God is not an author of confusion. Until Christianity is simplified with direct focus on Christ Jesus as God in the personality of love given to mankind there will be even huge cracks in the years to come as some young men of God have also started propounding theories and doctrines. Christians are not Jews. We are don’t have any obligation to adhere to Abrahamic cultures. Our life is Christ.

But there is one thing that is for sure, whatever is not of God will become extinct with time.

In Acts 5:38-39, the scripture says: “So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice,”

Gamaliel a teacher of the law told the elders about Theudas and Judas the Galilean who came, claiming to be from God and had followers, but they all perished and their disciples scattered. This was his advise to the Sanhedrin as they sought to persecute the disciples of Christ. So of what importance is it to fight doctrines and movements claiming to be of God anyway. We allow them to be and seek Christ personally with earnestness. He said: “if you diligently seek me you will find me”.

As a new convert, may be you are confused because of the many brouhaha in the faith. Christianity is not the only faith with such confusions; it’s everywhere. All you need to know about the faith is Christ. Spend time reading the four gospels; Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. Just say this simple prayer: “dear Lord Jesus send me the promised Holy Spirit to enhance my understanding and grant me a revelation of Christ in my spirit. Amen”

Immediately the Holy Spirit will come and dwell and direct you in every way. Christianity is your personal revelation of Christ. But spend time in the fellowship of the saints too.

Going to church enables you to share with other believers and also play a role in expanding the kingdom. Going to church is also for your welfare as a Christian; this I will explain in my next article. Do not get bothered about arguments, just focus on Christ and listen to the Holy Spirit more.

To avoid being indoctrinated, do not assume any man of God knows it all. No man of God is an authority of scriptures. The authority of all scriptures is the Holy Ghost. Every man of God knows in part. Even prophesies are in part, they don’t know it all.

1 Corinthians 13:9-10

“For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.”